I Make The Good Girls Go Bad (Hiatus or Discontinuation?)
by everycloudhas
Summary: She has been and is still a good girl. He... He just wants her to go bad with... him. AU and OOC, but of course. Good Inoue Orihime knows bad Kurosaki Ichigo is that kind of guy she would be stupid to trust.
1. Prologue

(てんし)

"YOU!"

The orange-haired man was not surprised he has been called out.

After all he was young, rich and extremely handsome.

Kurosaki Ichigo smirked to his friends.

He turned very slowly to greet the person whose voice has caught his attention before he has even set his deep brown eyes on her.

Yes.

Her.

Again, no surprises there.

Did he mention he was young, rich and truly handsome.

His signature scowl fully on his face, just in case the face did not match the voice.

He turned...

And the scary scowl disappeared from his confused face.

There, standing in front of him was a babe.

Aphrodite reincarnated.

Venus de Milo in the flesh.

An auburn-haired striking beauty with curves in all the right places and a face...

An angelically beautiful face who was currently glaring at him with so much loathing that a lesser man would cower in fear.

But... not he.

For he was Kurosaki Ichigo.

Genius Extraordinaire.

Why was such a beauty be angry with him?

He would remember her if they have met before, wouldn't he?

Even an one time encounter of passionately taking her hard and fast against a solid surface, standing.

He could never forget a face like hers.

Before he could even ask her to refresh his memory, even before a word was spoken.

The left side of his face was greeted with the palm of the woman who was looking at him as if he was the lowest of low.

She has slapped him!

He heard the shocked reactions from his friends.

He scowled at the feisty beauty. Her small, shaking hands were clenched by her sides. He looked at the desirable woman who was glaring back with a flustered face and bright, glowing eyes.

"Why... you... " The orange-haired 'slapee' started to ask but then he decided this whimsical woman was all about action first and words later.

And so he kissed her.

He felt the sparks the minute his lips touched hers. It pulsed from his lips and vibrated throughout his whole body.

He swallowed her accusations and explanation of why his cheek has to suffer the indignation of whatever he could have done.

He crashed his lips on hers and his arms moved instinctively to aid him in his compensation of his bruised cheek.

One of his hand went behind her neck and held her head in place, while the other wrapped itself around her slim body as he caged her in with her soft curves finding no escape from his hard body.

For she was resisting and trying to be free from him, from his body, from his ravaging lips.

The more she struggled, the closer he pressed her to him.

He held her tightly against him as his mouth demanded fiercely of his payment for the humiliating slap.

He smirked against her non-responding lips.

A kiss for a slap.

He wondered if he has gotten for himself a fair exchange.

Leaning even closer than possible, he ravished her lips for one last time before reluctantly pulling away from her.

He relaxed his hold on her.

He opened his eyes, slowly. A pair of almost golden, glowering orbs greeted him. He took his time to admire the bright eyes, the flushed cheeks and most of all, the kiss-swollen red lips.

If he has thought she was beautiful before, she was even more irresistible gorgeous now.

But it was not enough to distract him from catching the wrist of the hand going for his cheek again.

Ichigo smirked smugly at her.

With her wrist captured in his hand, his other hand, still encircling her waist, tightened its grip again and he moved her close to him.

Within kissing distance.

"If you were to slap me, I would have to kiss you again." He grinned devilishly at the bristling beauty. "Do you want me to kiss you again?" He asked her cheekily.

The auburn-haired wrathfully woman simply glared at him.

"What a pity." Ichigo sighed and he looked really disappointed. "Anyway, if I were to let go of you and your 'slap-happy' hand, can you restrain yourself from slapping me again?" He asked her warily.

He has every right to be caution of this angel in his arms.

An innocent angel, he so wanted to do the most sinfully, lusty actions with.

She gave a small nod.

He released her slowly as his big hand lightly lingered on parts of her body before it left completely.

"Of course, you don't have to slap me in order for me to kiss you." Kurosaki Ichigo told her in all seriousness and grinned wickedly.

He failed to notice the tiny fist going straight for his eye.

(だてんし)


	2. It Started With A

(てんし)

It was not a pretty sight.

Young, rich and unbelievably handsome Kurosaki Ichigo nearly lost his balance.

And, maybe a little of his masculinity as well.

He staggered backwards.

It was not from the blow itself.

It was not that strong.

It was more out of surprised shock than the unforeseeable impact itself.

He felt strong hands helpfully gripping his shoulders.

He knew who it was.

"Thanks Chad." He said appreciatively of his best friend.

A pat on the shoulder was his only response from his silent friend.

He touched his punched eye gingerly.

It did hurt... a little.

"Wow! That's gonna be one hell of a shiner by tomorrow!"

Again he did not have to turn around.

He kept an eye, wait, that was currently what he was basically capable of doing, on the action woman in front of him.

His other eye was starting to hurt quite a bit.

"Shut the fuck up Keigo!" Ichigo shouted at another of his friend.

"And you!" He glared angrily at the auburn-haired beauty with his one good eye. "Why the hell did you do that for!" He scowled furiously at her.

"You kissed me!" She answered rather obviously and glared back at him as if he was an idiot.

"She is right, Kurosaki. You did kiss her against her will."

"You shut the fuck up as well Ishida! Nobody asked for your fucking opinions!" He shouted again at another of his so-called friend.

Everybody saw how the doe-liked eyes of the auburn-haired beauty grew bigger with every foul word and the way her curvaceous body cringed at every utterance of vulgarity.

"Why the fuck did you slap me for in the first place?!"

Everyone, except the young, rich, handsome and extremely emotionally, empathy-dense Kurosaki Ichigo.

"That is why. You... You f-fu... f-fu..." The no-hesitation in hitting a guy twice woman was having trouble in repeating the four-lettered word.

It was quite an amusing sight to behold. The blushing and the stammering made her look like a golden-red goldfish.

A very cute, sparkling goldfish.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times. She tried, but the words; they just could not come out. Finally, she closed her eyes and bit down on her lower lip in frustration.

Ichigo was captivated by the sheer cuteness he was witnessing from such a sexy being.

Cute, sexy but extremely dangerous with her fair hands.

Regardless of the stinging pain in his left eye, he walked closer to her.

"Ichigo, you might want to tone down on your colorful language."

That stopped him in his tracks.

What was with him and his meddling friends?!

Finally, he turned to face his friends.

"Not you too, Mizuiro. If I have wanted any fucking advice, I would have asked for them. So all of you shitheads just keep your fucking mouths shut! This is between her and me." He let loose his 'colorful language' on his friends as he pointed to the 'her' in question.

"Understand." He glared commandingly at his friends.

Nobody answered him. They knew what he was like. They just looked back at him.

"Good. Now that I have made myself clear." He returned to his questioning of the buxomly woman.

She has opened her eyes and she began to nibble on her lower lips, perhaps she was nervous.

Maybe she was regretting her impulsive, uncalled for reckless acts.

But her eyes.

Her sweet honey eyes.

They glared defiantly at him.

He glared back at her, but with not so much animosity.

His words though, they told of a different story.

"Answer me. Why the fuck did you slap me?!" He asked her, annoyingly.

This time he saw the flinching of the soft body.

Was she afraid that he was going to hit her?

Just how despicable did she really think of him.

He frowned.

And glared at the redhead who looked ready to finally enlighten him as to why he was the recipient of a five-fingered present to the face.

"Because you.. you... fu...fu..." Tried as she should. She just could not throw the bad word back into his scowling face.

Almost teary-eyed, she glared in resentment at the source of her failure to communicate.

Then it dawned, slowly on Ichigo.

He stared in amused amazement at her.

What a curious God's piece of work.

It was not that she was afraid of him laying a hand on her, but it was the words coming out of his mouth that made her cringed.

His shoulders slumped in resigned realization.

"Finally." He heard one of his friends mumbled behind his back. He did not even feel like turning round and scowling at them for their 'smartassness'.

He rubbed his face in exasperation and accidentally rubbed his wounded eye in the process.

Now it was his turn to flinch.

_'Ouch!'_ He mentally groaned.

He decided it would be safer to just scratch the back of his head and lightly massaged his scalp at the same time as his brain started to advise him on how to deal with the baffling beauty.

"Um..." He cleared his throat.

The eyes softened in their gaze at her and the scowl all but disappeared from his handsome face.

The glare on her lovely face too almost vanished at his unexpected change of facial expression.

"Why..." He glanced at the slightly surprised auburn-haired woman. Her big, bright eyes stared curiously back at him.

"Ahem. Why did you slap me?"

"You really do not know?"

"How the fu... How the world would I know if you don't tell me?" He did not know why, but he curbed his normal usage of his words for... her.

A stranger.

A beautiful stranger.

A very beautiful stranger who has hit him, twice.

So, why was he so polite to her?

He looked at her, really closely.

She in return, at least, she has completely stopped glaring at him.

Was that a lighter shade of rosiness on her smooth cheeks?

He was so distracted by the sign of embarrassment on her pretty face that he almost did not catch the soft-spoken sentence.

"I-It is because you cannot keep your pants on."

"What?!" His eyes widened. He looked at her hopefully. Did that mean he and her... But there was no fucking way in hell he could not remember their encounter if he had an amorous experience with her.

Could he?

"Did we... "

She shook her head and undeniable disappointment flooded his whole body.

"It is a friend of mine."

"I got that. You will not be so angry over somebody you don't care. So... is your friend as pretty as you?" Ichigo asked nonchalantly to what was totally irrelevant to the situation at hand.

"Kurosaki!"

"Ichigo!"

"Just checking the facts. But seriously, were you with your friend when I allegedly had the 'pants-off' incident?" How could he be attracted to someone else when she was there?

"Kurosaki!"

"Ichigo!"

"Alright! Alright! Is your friend underage?"

"No."

"Did I force her to do anything that she didn't want to?"

"No."

"There was no kinkiness involved, I hope?"

"No. Not that she will mention, even if there was, I guess." Her brows furrowed as she thought about it.

He raised one orange eyebrow at her.

"So, what you are telling me is that I was slapped for doing a normal sexual act between two consenting adults, why... are you jealous?" He smirked arrogantly at her.

She glared contemptuously at the conceited orange-haired man.

"She is pregnant, you irresponsible 'fruit'! "

"What!" Ichigo was so shocked at the beginning of the sentence that he did not say anything about him being a 'fruit'.

"I knew it. All those indiscriminating sex, it was bound to happen."

"You can't blame him. Those women were throwing themselves at him."

"A little self-control would have been appropriate."

"Shut up!" Ichigo shouted to his startled friends. Eyes widened to an unbelievable size. He stared at the one who has dropped the bombshell. "And what makes you think I am the father."

"She told me."

"And you believe her?!"

"Are you calling my friend a liar?"

"How should I know? I don't know her, do I? Besides, I have never once gone without protection. Not. Even. Once."

"Maybe the condom broke or it happen too fast for you to remember to put it on."

"Not. Even. Once." He reiterated and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"She loves you. And she said that you love her too." She answered him, very softly.

"Now I know she's lying. Like with protecting myself, I have never said those three words to any women that I had have sex with. Those are my cardinal rules. Protection and never using the 'love' word." He told her solemnly.

"Never?" In spite of him being such a cad, the redhead was curious about his love life.

"There is no one, yet. Wait, I get it now. This is some kind of scam, right? You being the protective friend and your friend, well, we know what role she is playing. So, how much are you hoping to strike, pun fully intended, rich with?" He asked in a sarcastic, taunting tone.

And this time, Ichigo was alert to the hand that was going to strike him. Grabbing her other hand as well, just in case she chose to use it. He fixed his eyes fiercely on her.

"What did I say about you slapping me? And as for taking another swing at me. A mere kiss won't do. Don't make me demonstrate to you how I can hold you with one arm and use a condom at the same time."

"You would not dare."

"You wanna bet. Who's to know, you might even enjoy it." He smirked wickedly at her.

She gave out a horrified gasp before she lowered her head.

Then he heard the soft sobbing and a drop of moisture dropped onto his hand which was still holding on to her trembling hand.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked in concern. Her head was still bent and he could see she was shivering.

He felt like such a bastard.

"Hey." He said softly and let go of both her hands.

Mistake.

He placed his big hands on her thin shoulders. He gave them a little squeeze.

Big Mistake.

He moved even closer to her.

She looked up, all bright-eyed innocence and laid her shaking hands on his arms.

He was slightly taken aback by this tender gesture.

And that was when he felt the searing pain between his legs.

He was bent over in an instance. He kept his head low to compose himself and to prevent any wimpy tears from exposing his hurt manhood. He felt a comforting hand on his back. He breathed in and out a couple of times before he stood up straight, lifted his head and...

"Why the fuck did you do that for?!" He eyed her wearily. Just how many parts of her body can she use to hurt him.

"Y-You were going to r-rape m-me!" She accused him.

"W-What?! No! I will never do something like that. I will never force myself on anyone."

"Y-You kissed me!" She reminded him furiously.

"That was different. It was like a chain-reaction to you slapping me."

" ... "

"Kurosaki, do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

"Shut up Ishida! Look, I apologize for frightening you with that harmless, teasing comment. I did not mean anything by it."

"I was not frightened." She stated bravely.

"You weren't?"

"N-No, I was not. It is just that a woman's chastity is not something to be taken so lightly, especially as a joke." She told him, stubbornly and almost prudish?

_'A woman's chastity.'_

"Are you saying you are still a v-vir... " Ichigo could not even say the word but one of his friend did not have any trouble in gushing over it.

"Wow! A hottie like you! You still a virgin?! That's as rare as Ichigo not keeping it in his pants, right Ichigo?" There was shuffling. A muffled voice.

"Asano-san, don't you know how to keep your mouth close?"

"Ishida-san is correct. You should learn how to say the right things at the right time, Asano-san."

More shuffling and a muffled voice.

"Once again I apologize for my insensitive joke. Is your friend with you now? Maybe we can clear this misunderstanding once and for all when she realizes I am not the one. Although I am a little puzzled as to why she did not tell me personally before sending you and your painful method of informing me." He joked.

"She is in the ladies. But she did call you and sent you text messages, you just did not bother to answer them. She even call and text you before she went to the ladies."

"She did? I certainly did not receive anyting and I did not hear or felt anything just now. Must be the loud music." He took out his cellphone. Ichigo glanced her her thoughtfully. "You are not a spy from a rival company, are you?" The surprised look on her beautiful blushing face was the answer he needed. He unlocked his cellphone.

"You are not going to hit me again, are you?" He asked, half jokingly and half afraid for his dignity.

She shook her head.

"Come a little closer, please." He held out his cellphone to show her as she stood beside him.

"I don't want you accusing me of deleting anything and pretending there was nothing from your friend."

She nodded in understanding.

He let his finger opened his cellphone.

She was enchanted by the picture on the screen. He looked so different.

"Your family?"

"Yeah."

"Who's the one you need to protect the most?" She asked in regards to his name, forgetting she has already called him a 'fruit'.

"So, I am no longer a 'fruit' then." He grinned boyishly at her.

She gave him a small apologetic, sincere smile.

He was charmed, but cary. Cautious of the angel disguised as an agile assailant. He looked back to the screen.

"Her, I guess." He pointed to the fair-colored girl.

She wondered what it would like to be protected by him. She peeked at him as he was looking at the screen.

She should be looking out for her friend's name, but... he was just so much more interesting to look at.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary, informing me that I am going to be a father. Do you see your friend's name?" He broke into her contemplative daze with his questioning.

"May I?" She asked timidly. She respected his privacy.

"Are you sure you are not a company spy?"

She shook her head vigorously.

He handed her his smartphone which brought on a loud wail of injustice.

"Ichigo, I have been your friend for ages and you have never let me so much as touch it. And now... now you are just handing it to her?! What kind of friend are you?!"

"Shut up Keigo! Or you will find myself not even considered as my acquaintance!"

"Ichigo ~ "

"Asano-san, what did I say about you and your big mouth?"

"Why are you so formal with me, Mizuiro?!"

Ichigo ignored his friends and concentrated on the deadly beauty with his cellphone. She was so close to him that he could practically smelled the sweet scent of her shampoo wafting up to his nose.

Strawberry? Nah. Too cliché.

Even in his absolute admiration of the auburn-haired, he thought he heard something.

Beautiful name.

As beautiful as her.

He gazed longingly at her and he was startled when her sweet honey eyes suddenly met his.

"Did you say something?" She asked, inquisitively and her head tilted slightly to look at him.

Crap!

What did he say out loud?

Here goes nothing.

"I was just thinking 'Orihime' is a bea..."

Her big brown eyes went even bigger and one of her small hand grabbed his wrist.

"How do you know my name?" 'Orihime' asked in shock.

"'Orihime' is your name?!" He stared at the princess.

_'Why couldn't I have impregnated a princess? I bet our baby will be beautiful.'_ Ichigo thought wishfully.

"How? Did she tell you?" 'Orihime asked again, suspiciously.

"No! I... "

"Orihime!" Somebody shouted again.

Said 'Orihime' looked away from him to point to the source of the voice.

"That is my friend. Maybe now you can do the right thing and be there for the mother of your child." The auburn-haired princess said almost sadly.

Kurosaki Ichigo forced his eyes away from the pretty princess to look at the approaching black-haired newcomer and simultaneously, his heart and brain went...

(だてんし)


	3. Facing the Truth

(てんし)

"Orihime, are you alright?" The short, black-haired woman asked the auburn-haired beauty anxiously. She covered her pale hands with her own tiny hands.

Inoue Orihime smiled reassuringly at her concerned friend. She nodded her head.

The caring friend in return, squeezed her hands gently and then she turned her cold, icy glare on the scowling orange top.

"Did you do anything inappropriate to her?" She growled out.

Kurosaki Ichigo was taken aback. This protective midget was accusing him of such ungentlemanly behaviour towards the pretty princess.

As if he will ever scoop so low to that level...

Wait a damned minute...

He glanced quickly at the blushing woman. He did kiss her and he did threaten to do more than that when she was in his arms. Judging by the redness that was slowly spreading from her face, neck and God knew where else. She must have also remembered what he did and said.

Or to her, threatened.

Well, if she was not saying anything, who was he to disclose anything to embarrass the poor, virtuous woman?

His deep, brown eyes followed the eye-catching vibrant color from her lovely face, her slender neck to the soft, round...

"Hey! Mind what you are seeing, you pervert!" The friend shouted out, insultingly at Ichigo.

Caught in the natural act of doing what any normal, straight, hot-blooded man would do, Ichigo glared back at the violet eyes that were drilling a hole right into his skull, "Who's the fuck are you?!" He has absolutely no qualms in using those kind of words at her.

The petite, short-haired woman puffed up, she turned to Orihime, smiled and after giving her friend one more squeeze of the hands, she removed her hands and placed them on her hips as her eyes went full strength of derision at Ichigo.

"I am..."

"Wow! Ichigo! Who did the makeup on your eye?!" Sniggering was heard behind him, but the other newcomer was not done yet. "Was it a jealous husband or boyfriend who has decided that green was not the color for them?"

"Shut the fuck up Renji!" Ichigo glared at the irritating newcomer. He pointed to the woman by his side. "This yours?" He sneered.

"How rude and crude." The black-haired woman scoffed.

Abarai Renji grinned and placed his arm around her thin shoulders, "Yeah, she's mine. Her name is..."

"Well this is for you then!" Ichigo told him furiously and punched him in the eye with just as much fury.

Renji did not even see it coming and he landed on the floor with his arm still around his girlfriend. Kuchiki Rukia fell on top on him in a very unpolished manner. It was lucky that Rukia and Renji were so disproportionated in their sizes for Renji felt nothing as she tangled, all hands and feet on him. But in her haste to untangle herself, her small hand must have unwittingly pressed onto a most fleshy part for a loud whoosh of air escaped from him and then an anguish 'ow' was heard!

"Renji! Are you alright?! Did you hurt your head?!" Rukia cried out in concern and unknowingly caused the fallen redhead more distress by even pressing harder on the area between his legs.

Muffled giggling was heard.

"R-Rukia... y-our h-hand... " Renji managed to stutter out to the woman kneeling next to him.

Rukia exert more force with her hand as she crawled nearer to Renji, "Huh? What's wrong with my hand?" She asked in confusion.

Suppressed giggling turned to loud laughter.

Ichigo, with a satisfied smirk on his face turned to look at the beauty who has inadvertedly caused the merriment; she was giggling softly behind her hands-covered mouth and when she happened to glance at him, his breath hitched, he stared, he was enchantred by those sparkling, golden orbs and when she removed her fair hands from her mouth; her sweet, sunshine-smile lighted up his insides and at that moment, did he dare to admit; he felt something for her that was not inspired by what was slowly stirring below his belt.

Definitely not by lust but maybe by the other 'L' word.

Like?

Or the other 'L' word?

He shook his head out of disbelief.

The one word that he has never found it necessary to let it escape from either his mouth or his heart.

He suppressed the unwanted feeling and just continued to stare at her with the conflicting emotions swirling within him.

Unknowingly to him, his traitorous eyes betrayed him.

He was confusing her.

She turned away from his intensely, troubling stare in a hurry to help her friend. She was relieved she has something to distract her from his burning brown eyes which were filled with a emotion she could not decipher.

Or...

She did not want to understand.

Orihime turned her attention to her friend.

"Rukia-chan, are you alright?" She asked. Rukia gave her a nod of the head before directing her concern gaze to the fallen boyfriend. Orihime kneeled down next to the sprawling red-haired man and poked him lightly on the shoulder.

"Um..." She tilted her head and looked to Rukia for an introduction.

"Oh, Inoue Orihime, Abarai Renji." Rukia made the hasty introduction.

Renji lifted one hand up, slowly and gave a little wave.

"Are you alright, Abarai-san?" Orihime asked gently and an expected frown appeared on Ichigo's annoyed face together with an unexpected, frustrating feeling of jealousy.

Before Renji can answer the softy-spoken concern, Ichigo kicked him not so gently on his foot and answered for him.

"Of course, he's okay. He's just milking for sympathies. The big baboon!"

With that insult, Renji sprung up, ignoring the women at his side and the pain in his nether area forgotten as well.

With his face inches from Ichigo, he glared at his friend.

"Why the fuck did you hit me?" Renji growled out, softy.

Keeping his eyes firmly on Renji, Ichigo shoved him roughly away with his hands.

"Don't stand so close to me, you pervert! And you want to know why I hit you!" He pointed to Orihime. "Ask her!" He spat out and a startled Orihime cringed at his harsh tone.

Renji stared at the pretty woman looking all bright-eyed innocence at them.

"Her?" He asked in pure puzzlement. He looked to his equally surprised girlfriend for help.

A little knowing smile appeared on Rukia's fair face. "Orihime, did you?" She asked, simply.

Said friend nodded sheepishly.

"Wow. Tatsuki would be proud." Rukia almost felt like giving a whistle of approval, if she knew how to whistle. Then suspicion reared its ugly head of concern for her friend and she turned to Ichigo, "Why would she find it necessary to hit you in the first place? Did. You. Do. Something. To. Her?" She asked in a deathly, seemingly placid tone.

Ichigo glared back at the protective friend. 'Ha!' He thought to himself as his gaze wandered to the angelic 'princess'. 'As if she needed any help in defending her virtue.'

But how was he going to answer the black-haired interfering woman.

That she was protecting her virtue...

From him?

"Well, did you?" The icy tone tinged with dripping accusations threw his attention back to the black-haired individual.

"No," He started to rebut when a snort was heard. An irritating snort. "Shut up, Keigo!" Ichigo shouted at his friend even as he continued to stare down the frosty glare directed at him.

Both daring the other to look away first and hence proving the other right.

Orihime looked at her friend and then at the 'fruit' she might have accused of impregnating her friend, both of them were giving her a pain in the neck and she decided to step in, "Eh, Rukia-chan,", she addressed her friend as she stationed herself in their line of fire.

She stood in front of Rukia. "Rukia-chan," she began softly, "perhaps I was wrong in hitting "Kurosaki-san..."

At this softly-spoken apologetic words, Ichigo turned his superior sight on her.

So...

She was admitting she is in the wrong for punching him for all the wrong reasons.

"Wait, are you friends with him?" Renji interrupted her by glaring at his 'friend'.

A confused Orihime shook her head.

"Then how come you know his name? Did he try to chat you up by trying to impress you as to what he does?" Renji continued and then smirked at Ichigo. "Well, Ichigo, I guess you got your answer."

Ichigo kept quiet and just continued to glare at Renji and his the-cause-of-it-all girlfriend.

The pain in Orihime's neck was getting worse by the added interference of the tattooed boyfriend of Rukia.

"No, Abarai-san, Kurosaki-san did not try to 'chat' me up. I heard his name being mentioned by that bespectacled friend of his." She hastened to explain and pointed to a glasses-wearing Ishida Uryuu, who emphasized the fact by pushing the named device up his nose.

"But..."

"Be quiet, Renji. Or we will be here all night. And we are back to the same old question as to how and why my sweet, gentle friend would be provoked to hit a seemingly stranger?"

And the accusing glaring started again.

Oh, the pain.

Orihime laid her hand on Rukia's arm, smiled anxiously and keeping her voice low, "I hit Kurosaki-san because I thought he was the one who... you know."

Rukia's brows furrowed, "Know what?"

"You know..." Orihime started to say and then pointed to Rukia's flat stomach.

Apprehension came in the form of loud unladylike guffawing from Rukia.

"R-Rukia-chan?"

"Yoi Rukia. What's so funny?"

"Y-You..." Rukia caught Renji's arms for support as she continued to laughed. Everybody just stared at her. Finally the laughter subsided. She wiped her face of any stray tears and composed herself.

"Orihime, what in the world makes you think I would be associating myself with the likes of him?" She gave a snobbish nod of scorn directed at an infuriated Ichigo.

He scowled at her. "Right back at you, your flatness." He sneered.

"Are you trying to tell us something, Ichigo?" Renji asked softly but his glowering eyes told another story.

"There is no need for me to say anything when her lack of 'attribute' is so plain for all to see."

"Why... You... "

"Be quiet, Renji. Don't get yourself in a heap. We are above his scathing observations. Besides, I really, really want to know why my good friend who often impressed upon us about her womanly intuition would be so grossly mistaken about me and... him." Rukia might be telling her boyfriend to ignore Ichigo but the way she spoke about him in that one word spoke volume.

"Orihime, please continue."

Orihime took a quick glance at the scowling Ichigo before she she did continue.

"You pointed him out to me before you went to the ladies." She reminded her friend.

"Yes, I did. Didn't I?" Rukia agreed with her with a smile on her face and she turned to look at the one she had pointed out. "But I also mentioned to look out for the tall one with the brightly- colored hair."

Orihime arched an eyebrow and looked to and from the two tall men with hair color which was as unique in color as hers.

Catching her friend's not so subtle hint at the confusion she has created, Rukia grinned at Orihime before going all lovey-dovey at Renji. "You forget about the most important part when I pointed out Renji to you."

"And that would be?"

"He's the most handsomest of them all."

"You think I am handsome?"

"No, I think you are... superhandsome."

Orihime kept her eyes on the cloying sweet couple. She knew without looking at him that he was looking at her.

Probably...

No...

Definitely with a smug smirk on his 'handsomest' face.

Ichigo could not keep the victorious grin from vanishing from his face even if he has wanted to.

So, she thought he was the handsomest of them all.

That was like she did like him, at least she must like how his facial features were acceptable to her. But before he could press on his advantage, she was nudging her friend to leave.

And trying her damned best to not look at him.

Rukia removed her sappy gaze from Renji as she realized she was being elbowed gently by her friend. Tucking her hand by Orihime's arm, "Yeah, we should be going. Renji, are you... "

"Wait!" Ichigo shouted, impulsively.

"Why, do you want to leave with us as well?" Rukia smiled sweetly at him. "Well, you are not invited. Let's go, Orihime." She started to lead her friend towards the nightclub's door.

"Fine, go. It only proved to me what your behavior has only showed me about your upbringing. Or rather, the lack of it." Ichigo sneered at her.

Orihime gave out a soft gasp and Renji whole body stiffened. He gave his orange-haired friend a worried shake of the head. He knew that Rukia was touchy about her childhood.

"Come. Let's go, Rukia.." He took her small hand and tried to avoid more trouble between his two friends by leading her away from Ichigo.

Orihime, understanding the situation started to open her mouth to hasten their departure from the company of the volatile 'handsomest' one.

When...

Rukia shook off Renji's hand and she turned to confront Ichigo.

"What do you mean by that? My lack of upbringing?"

Orihime, who was in the process of saying something jumped in at her friend's icy tone. "Kurosaki-san did not mean you, Rukia-chan. Right, Kurosaki-san?" She gave Ichigo a quick glance and even before he could answer her, she answered for him. "He meant me because I guess I do own him an apology." She smiled sheepishly and ran her fingers nervously through her long hair. She was again admitting she was in the wrong when that was the last thing she wanted to do.

But, anything was better than Rukia going all 'ballistic' and letting her family find out about it.

Rukia's face softened as she returned her gaze to her young friend. "There's nothing wrong with your behavior,"

"I beg to differ." Ichigo interrupted.

Rukia chose to ignore him. "You've come a long way from where you came from and although the rude person is wrong to criticize about how you were raise, we will show him," She took Orihime's hand. "We are going to apologize to him." She glared at Ichigo. "Even though he probably deserved the injury you gave him."

"Wait a damn minute!" Ichigo started to protest.

But Rukia was positioning Orihime to stand in front of Ichigo and she began to lead by example by starting to bow to the unworthy one.

And the surprised one jumped a few steps back. He knocked into a too-close-for-comfort Asano Keigo.

"What the..."

"Ouch!"

"Shut up, Keigo! Nobody asked you to stand so bloody close to me!"

"Why are you being so mean to me, Ichigo?" Keigo whined about the lack of concern from the hot-tempered one.

Everyone ignored him. They were more interested in the body movement of all the three protagonists performing in a strange dance which no one seemed to understand.

Orihime shook her head and waved her hands wildly. "Rukia-chan," She started to protest but Rukia lifted her head and arched an eyebrow. She pointedly gestured with her firm gaze and directed Orihime to do the same.

The long-haired friend signed and started to do the same when Ichigo sensing potential danger again, jumped a distance from her. This time the back of his body hit against none other than Renji.

"What the... " Renji heaved Ichigo by his shoulders and shoved him toward the two women. Ever alert Rukia dainty avoided being hit by Ichigo by stepping aside in a hurry and also managing to pull a surprised Orihime with her. She glared at her boyfriend.

Renji grimaced and shrugged his shoulders. He pointed at Ichigo. "All I was trying to do was to get him to behave like a gentleman and accept your apology graciously." He explained quickly.

"By trying to slam-bang us with his body?" Rukia retorted. "And you," She glared at Ichigo. "What's so difficult for you to accept an apology?"

Ichigo kept quiet and Orihime's face turned a rather flattering shade of pink.

"It's because the last time Orihime-san bowed, Ichigo had tears in his eyes." Keigo 'volunteered' with the answer with a smirk.

Rukia gasped.

Renji frowned.

Ichigo scrowled.

And let his hand expressed his irritation by hitting the 'helpful' Keigo.

"Why are you so physical with me, Ichigo?" Keigo whined.

"I will 'physical' you, you eejit!" Ichigo threatened as he looked set to smack Keigo again.

"I am confused." Renji interrupted and he looked as befuddled as he sounded.

"About the word 'eejit' ?" Ishida asked helpfully.

"Huh?" Renji turned to face Ishida, more confused than ever. "What? No. I was wondering why Ichigo had tears in his eyes... though now that you've asked, what is an 'eejit'?" He looked hopefully at Ishida.

Ishida touched his glasses, but before he can explain to his one captive audience, Rukia burst out, "Orihime! You did not!"

The long-haired friend sneaked a peep at a fuming Ichigo and nodded in embarrassment.

"You did!"

Rukia's grin was as wide as her eyes."Tatsuki would be so proud of you!" She repeated and proceeded to hug her taller friend.

"Who's Tatsuki?" Keigo asked to no one in particular and nobody answered him.

"I'm still confused." Renji admitted.

"Nobody fucking cares, Renji!" Ichigo bellowed. He glared at the two hugging women. "So now you understand a bow and an apology simply will not do."

"What do you mean?" Rukia let go of Orihime and shot daggers at him.

"What do you think?"

"How do I know what goes on in that bitty brain of yours?"

"Rukia-chan," Orihime started to say but as usual when Rukia was in her fighting mode, there was no stopping her.

"It's alright, Orihime. We are going to hear him state his demands, without prejudice." She smiled reassuringly at her anxious friend before giving Ichigo her loftiness look. "Well?"

Ichigo continued to glare at her.

"Oh... are you trying to communicate with your superior male brain power? What? I don't understand." Rukia placed her fingers on the sides of her head and moved them in a slow circular motion. "You, what?! You want to bash my sweet gentle friend." She smirked. "So... do you really want to hit Orihime?" She taunted.

An emotion that Kurosaki Ichigo's friends and enemies only knew too well flashed in his eyes and he answered,

"Yes."


	4. A Good Girl

_(Yoshi! What's happening?! No update for more than a year and then, 'BANG!' Two updates in a week. It is all because of you, yes, _**'YOU'**_. You all know I am referring to 'you'. The rest of you, what are you doing here anyway, shoo, shoo, go away. But.. seriously, thanks for the show of support. To show my appreciation, you can request for the next update for any of my stories, even the completed ones. I was going to suggest you send me a PM, but sorry, the mailbox remains close. Disturbing messages and images since last year from more than one sender. Anyhow... why not your top three updates to 'review'. I will think about it and ask my muses. Not this story, though; the muse has gone off to recuperate after more than ten thousand words! I will get back to you to inform you as to if the update you are dying to read will be posted. During the very small window of I sending a message to you, if you are online at the same time, please quickly tap, tap, tap and tell me what that cannot be shown on 'reviews'. Think about it. All updates' requests will be answered, within my lifetime.)_

_(Hmm... this just came to me. Mayhap, I should set up a new account just for the sole purpose of communication. I will let you know once I think of a 'cute' name. Do look out for it in your mailboxes send to you from this address. You can ask anything... regarding my stories. And please, do keep it private between us. Thanx.)_

(ううん)

Kuchiki Rukia's mouth opened and closed. She could hardly believed what she had just heard. She turned to look at her dear friend. She thought that her eyes seemed to be brighter and her fair skin appeared to be on the wrong side of the palest white.

Inoue Orihime tried not to show how the one word that came out of Kurosaki Ichigo's cruel mouth had hurt her. She has thought he would not scoop so low as to really hit her. Taking advantage of her, maybe. He was only a man, after all. But... She thought he was just...

She had thought...

She just could not figure him out.

She shook her head and blinked away her unshed tears. She would just have to bear it out.

After all, it was not as if she had never been at the receiving end of a fist or two. Besides, she admitted to herself, resignedly; she is in the wrong for hitting him in the first place. Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and looked into the handsome face devoid of any emotion.

And felt a small strong hand holding her own cold trembling one.

"What did you say?" The owner of the warm hand asked, still in disbelief.

"Something wrong with your ears? You asked and I answered you. Do I need to say it again"

"No. I heard you the first time but I thought..."

"Don't think anymore. In fact, don't even open your mouth anymore. This is between her and me." Ichigo's face remained as impassive as his words.

"You can't be serious!" It was like reasoning with a brick wall. He was all stony-faced at her. Rukia turned to her boyfriend. "Do something! Anything!" Abarai Renji opened his mouth, took a look at Ichigo and shut it. He shook his head at Rukia. Rukia's face reflected the disappointment and dismay she felt for him. She glanced at the rest of his friends. "Can't one of you stop this insanity from happening?" She appealed to the rest of Ichigo's friends as well.

No one said a word.

Till...

A big, tanned hand appeared on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Ichigo."

Rukia's temper exploded in disgust. "Why, you want to hold her down as he laid his fists on her!"

"Rukia," Renji started to say,

"What?!" Rukia cut him off by shouting at him and holding on to Orihime's hand even tighter.

"Rukia, if there's anyone who can talk some sense into Ichigo. It will be Chad." Renji ignoring the contempt he saw in her eyes, told her watchfully.

Rukia mumbled something under her breath.

"Ichigo." The deep voice of Sado Yasutaro's utterance of his name spoke volume.

"It's okay, Chad. I know what I am doing." Ichigo informed his friend.

There must have been some kind of assurance in the words for the big man patted Ichigo on his shoulder and said nothing else.

Ichigo's cool gaze centred on Orihime.

"Inoue, it is Inoue, am I correct?"

"That's Inoue-san to you!" Rukia instructed unnecessarily by shouting at him.

Ichigo pointedly ignored her.

"Inoue," He started again and Orihime instinctively nodded.

"You admitted that you were wrong in hitting me."

Again, Orihime nodded.

"That's why we were willing to apologize to you." Rukia butted in.

"And I said that an apology will not do and that was when you offered for me to hit your friend."

"I was not being serious. It was meant as a joke!"

"That's the problem with you, feminists. You are always talking about equal rights and all that. But when one is ready to treat you on equal standing, there is always the escape of everything being a joke. Don't make me laugh." Ichigo's voice was filled with disdain.

"W-what has you hitting my friend and being a feminist and equal rights have in common?" Rukia stumbled in pure puzzlement.

"It's very simple and I will demonstrate."

Ichigo proceeded with his demonstration by hitting Asano Keigo.

"Ow! What did you do that for?!" Keigo whined and massaged his injured nose.

"You are going to annoy me." Ichigo answered smoothly, obviously and much to everybody acceptance of how Keigo was.

"See. You want to be treated with equality, you should be able to take it like a man. And that includes a mild beating once in a while." Ichigo told the two women with contrasting expressions on their faces.

One filled with shock and the other with rage.

Murderous rage.

"Of all the bullshit! This is sheer madness! We. Are. Leaving! Come on, Orihime. Let's get out of this lunatic asylum!" Rukia started to pull her friend to the exit.

"Rukia-chan," Orihime said softly and stood firmly as to where she was.

"Orihime."

"Kurosaki-san is correct." Orihime began to say.

"Don't 'san' him! He does not deserve your respect! That bastard!" Rukia spat and started again to pull her friend away from him.

Orihime was not moving. She began to pry Rukia's stubborn fingers from her hand. "Abarai-san,"

Renji gave out a startled, "Huh?"

Having successfully removed Rukia's hand from its death-gripped position covering hers, Orihime gently pushed Rukia towards her boyfriend.

"Abarai-san, do you mind?" She hoped Renji knew what she wanted him to do for her.

In a rare moment of insightful understanding of what was requested of him, Renji reached out for his girlfriend.

"Don't touch me!" Rukia hissed, even as Renji wrapped his strong arms around her.

"Orihime." Rukia's softly cried out to her, desperately.

"I am going to be fine, Rukia-chan." Orihime said bravely. A sad smile appeared on her pale face. "It will be like the bad old days when not a day went by without I getting a beating because I-I..." She could not continue, the pain of remembrance was too much, instead she turned to Ichigo, stood a little straighter,

"I am ready, Kurosaki-san,"

Rukia buried her face in Renji's chest. She covered her ears with her shaking hands. "I am going to kill him. No. Tatsuki and I will kill him. No. Tatsuki and I will take our time as we make him suffer in front of Orihime. He's not getting away." Rukia mumbled incoherently against Renji's chest as she thought about her own incompetence with the useless threats.

Ichigo's stomach hurt. The moment he heard about Orihime being abused, his heart fell to his stomach and that was why he felt so sick.

Sick of himself.

"Are you scared?" He asked of the previously spirited woman looking helplessly at him.

She shook her head vehemently.

"Your eyes are betraying you." _'Your big beautiful brown eyes'. _He mentally corrected himself.

"Close your eyes." He ordered softly and she, obediently did.

And clasped her trembling hands, together, tightly.

"Ichigo." One of his friends muttered.

Shutting out his friends, everything. He focused on the woman in front of him. His hands covered the smaller ones clutched furiously into a ball-liked shape. They were cold and shivering, from fear.

Anticipation of a known experience and the end result.

Orihime wondered warily why his warm, calloused hands were cocooning hers. Was he trying to prevent her from striking back at him. No. She will not do anything. She has learnt her lesson.

Then his gentle, whispered words touched her ears.

"I am sorry for frightening you. I am sorry for what you have gone through. I am sorry that you have experienced what one should never, ever had. But I, Kurosaki Ichigo will never lay a finger on the opposite sex. Much less someone like you."

_'Someone like me?' _Orihime's nervous heart began to beat frantically.

And then she felt the soft caress of his lips at the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes shot open.

There was a sincere smile on his face. His hands separated themselves from hers. A cocky smile replaced the likeable one.

_'Likable?'_

Orihime's small hands flown to cover her flaming cheeks.

"And now we are even." He said in a voice loud enough for his friends to hear.

With that one sentence, the suffocating tension dispersed like leaves scattering in the soothing autumn breeze.

"Phew, Ichigo. You've all of us worried there for a moment." Keigo grinned toothily.

"Speak for yourself, Asano-san. We were never worried about Kurosaki doing something so despicable. Am I correct, Sado-kun?" Ishida Uryuu asked his former comrade in arms.

The tanned giant gave a thumb's up of agreement.

"What's happened?" Kojima Mizuiro looked up from his cellphone, pretending he was absolutely absorbed with what he was doing with his cellphone. When in fact, he was as antsy as all of Ichigo's friends.

Renji heaved a large sigh of relief. He must really learn to trust his idiot of a friend. The movement jerked Rukia from his chest. She peered anxiously up at him. "What's happening?"

He grinned at her and pulled her hands from her ears. "Look for yourself." He turned his girlfriend in the right direction.

Rukia stared at a blushing Orihime and a smug looking Ichigo.

She did not look to be hurt, at least not physically.

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing." Ichigo answered calmly.

And the redness on Orihime's face flared up.

"Orihime and I have just come a compromise," He started to say, provokingly,

"Orihime?!"

"We have decided to be friends. She agreed to compensate me for any medical bills I might incur with a dinner date thrown in." He smiled confidently.

"Dinner date?!"

"Muzzle your pesky parrot, Renji." Ichigo needled before pressing on his advantage, "A dinner date with a friend, right, Orihime?"

The flustered woman could only stare back at him.

"No! You don't get to call her by her given name. Your medical bills will be paid by us, within reason, of course. And there will be no dinner date. Right, Orihime?" Rukia suggested for her hastily.

Again Orihime could only stare back at her friend, speechless.

Rukia ran to her and grabbed her by the elbow. "Orihime? Look what you have done to her. You have frightened her to numbness. What did you do to her anyway? You brute!" She accused Ichigo.

"I have already told you. Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Not a thing."

"Renji," Deciding she could not get the truth from Ichigo, Rukia turned to her boyfriend. "Before you say anything, remember I am still very, very unhappy with you." She warned him. "So, did he do anything to her?"

Renji broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes flittered to a scowling Ichigo before he choked out to his girlfriend, "He kissed her!"

"He what?!"

Orihime chose that very moment to come alive.

"It was nothing, Rukia-chan."

_'Nothing?!'_

"It was just a little peck on the cheek." Orihime improvised quickly to a suspicious Rukia.

"I see," She narrowed her eyes and directed her questioning gaze on the one person she surmised was a 'babblemouth'. "You!" She pointed at Keigo. "Was it just a peck?"

Keigo grinned, happy to be in the spotlight, "As compared to the first kiss, I supposed." He answered truthfully.

And for his honesty, he was rewarded with an elbow to his grinning face.

A very sharp elbow.

"Oww!"

"So... you did do something inappropriate to her, you pervert! Molester!" Rukia raged at Ichigo. "Well, that cancelled out the compensation. My poor, pure princess is going to have to go and see a shrink for being kissed by someone like you."

"Someone like me? What is wrong with me?" Ichigo was offended.

"Your actions speak for themselves, pervert-san."

"Why... you... "

"It's alright, Rukia-chan. I did not mind Kurosaki-san's kisses." Orihime said, absent-mindedly. Hearing herself saying what she should not have said, Orihime's hands were a little too late in covering her mouth.

Her impulsive, honest mouth.

" ... "

"O... ri... hime... " Rukia stiffened.

Orihime grabbed the fuming Rukia by the arm, "It's getting late, Rukia-chan. We should be going." Orihime was doing fast damage control.

"Wait!" It was like before; he loathed to let her vanish from his sight.

"Why? So you can molest her again? Not. A. Chance!"

Ichigo bypassed the black-haired roadblock. "Orihime, you still have not given me a way to get in touch you in regards to the medical expenses... " She was given a boyish smile. "Or a da-, dinner date." Ichigo tried to improve on his chances of getting to see her again.

Orihime tried to suppress a returning smile but the twitching of her lips was the proof of her failed effort.

"Here's my mobile. Do you want to tap in a number? Or do you want to call me with yours and I will add your number to my contacts? Do you want me to whisper my number to you?" He flirted shamelessly.

She shook her head, amused.

"But I do not have Abarai-san's number." Orihime said innocently.

"Why do you need to know the baboon's number?" He was not the only surprised one.

"Kurosaki-san has his number?"

"Of course I do. Why..."

"Then Kurosaki-san has a way to get in touch with me. Through Abarai-san."

"He has your number?!" Ichigo shouted.

"No. Of course not. But whatever you need to let me know, you inform Abarai-san and in turn, he will pass on the message to me through Rukia-chan. Right, Rukia-chan?" She smiled knowingly at Rukia. Rukia smiled slyly back at her.

"Definitely. Right, Renji?" Rukia instructed or rather ordered him.

A dazed Renji could only nodded in agreement.

"But that's so troublesome. One big roundabout method, when we could be connected directly. As one to one." Ichigo persisted in trying to add her number to his contacts.

"It is not troublesome, right, Rukia-chan?"

"Most definitely."

"You see, Kurosaki-san. Problem solved." Orihime smiled sweetly and promptly gave a graceful little bow that caught Ichigo by surprise, he quickly bowed in return.

"Goodbye, Kurosaki-san. Shall we, Rukia-chan?" Hooking her arm around her friend's arm, Orihime and Rukia walked side by side towards the exit.

"Rukia,"

Said girlfriend held up her free hand, "Not tonight, Renji. I am still not happy with you. Orihime and I will be going home by ourselves." Rukia stressed the last word in case someone else offered to see them home.

Renji looked wretchedly at her. "You'll call?"

"We'll see."

"Goodbye Rukia-san, Orihime-san." A hopeful Keigo called out from over Ichigo's shoulder.

Rukia looked at him as if it was beneath her to answer him and so she did not. The polite princess, through; gave a friendly wave, stole a quick look at a scowling Ichigo and led Rukia away.

Keigo gave out a longing sigh and planted his jaw on Ichigo's shoulder. "So beautiful." He said, dreamily.

Then while, watching the backs of the two women, he remembered something, "Struck out, eh, Ichigo? This must be a momentous day for you. A hottie rejecting you. She's not even remotely interested in you." He gloated.

"Want to bet?"

"On?"

"Whether or not Orihime is interested in me. And you better place your bet quickly because we will know the answer before they are out of the door."

"How?"

"Yes or no?"

"What do I get if I win?"

"I will help you to get any woman, excluding those two, of course, or man if that's your preferrence," Ichigo grinned wickedly. "If you win."

"Ichigo! What if I lose?"

"I will think about it. Now make up your mind."

Keigo made up his mind.

What did he have to lose, anyway?

"Yes." He answered and waited for Ichigo to explain.

"If Orihime is not interested in me, she will go out the door without turning around to take a look at me, but if she is..." He let the words hang in suspense.

Seeing Rukia already at the door and Orihime just a step behind her, Keigo chanted, "Go, Orihime-san, go."

Ichigo folded his arms across his chest and waited.

Tried as she might, she should not, but she could not resist.

Just beyond a foot from going out of the exit, she turned around, and saw a beaming Ichigo, standing tall and Greek-statue-liked, his strong arms across his manly chest, then his arms were moving, she thought he was going to wave to her.

Her foolish heart began to beat wildly.

Instead...

Using his hands around his mouth like a loudspeaker, he bellowed out, amidst the loud music, the chattering, the noise;

"Goodnight, my sweet princess! Here's knowing you are going to have sweeter dreams of... ME!"

And Orihime all but pushed Rukia out of the door.

"W-hat?! B-But... She refused to give you her number. She didn't even want your number! How can she be interested in you?!" Keigo babbled. "You can't contact her personally to prove she is really interested in you." Keigo was desperately clutching at straws.

"Good point, Keigo. Renji?" Ichigo's confident gaze leveled on the heart-broken redhead.

Renji shook his head.

"No." He answered plainly.

"No? Don't make me pull rank on you, Renji."

"You forget, Ichigo. We are no longer in the Force."

"That's right, Renji. We are friends, though, aren't we? Very good friends. Friends who had experienced much together. Like saving your life, too many times to count. Don't you want this friend to be happy?"

"I do, but I don't want her to be hurt."

"I am not going to hurt her."

"You don't know that."

"Why are you so protective of her?"

Renji did not answer.

Ichigo decided to change tact. "Renji, you know I can find her with or without your help. So why not shorten my misery by telling me what you know."

"You really want to know her and you are not going to hurt her?"

"Unless she orders me to." He joked harmlessly. But noticing Renji's beady brown eyes glowering at him. Ichigo turned serious and answered truthfully, sincerely,

"Yes."

"I don't know." Renji was still mulling over as to tell or not.

"Just tell him what's he going to find out anyway, Abarai-san. Just bear in mind to keep the personal stuff private or you will be here till closing time. You know how Kurosaki is concerning a pretty woman." Ishida advised.

Renji gave out an exaggerated sigh. "I guess Rukia wouldn't mind letting you guys know how we met."

"Why the fuck would I care how you and the meddlesome midget met?" Ichigo asked incredulously.

Renji glared at him. "Mind how you speak of the woman I love. If you must know, I got to know Rukia through Inoue-san."

"Explain yourself, now!" Ichigo's patience was razor-edged thin.

Renji shrugged and began,

"I first encountered Inoue-san at a trade fair,"

"You meant a Car Show. I can just imagine Orihime-san in one of those supersexy, eye-catching outfit." Keigo was practically drooling at the imaginary of Orihime wearing one of those tight-fitting clothing with her bountiful bosom bursting to be free.

Too immersed in his delusional daydream, he forgot himself and said out loud. "Come to papa."

And held his hands out to receive the bouncy prize.

Only to be greeted by a ferocious fist to the face, which knocked him, out cold.

"Well, that will keep him quiet for awhile. Please continue, Renji." Ichigo deadpanned.

And man interrupted, did just that.

He continued by admitting he was attracted to Orihime at first sight. Who wouldn't, he hastened to add. But tried as he might,Orihime did not give him the time of the day. In fact, she kept asking him to go away as he was interfering with what she has been trying to canvas for more business for her employers.

He decided to do just that and observed her from a not too far distance. He was glad to see he was not the only one getting the cold shoulder from her. After awhile when he had decided it was time for him to try his luck again,

"A few hours, you should say. And you were ogling at her. That's what I would do." The muddlied voice of Keigo mocked at Renji before falling back into unconsciousness again.

A sheepish smile.

"Yeah, maybe more than a few hours. I was so absorbed in watching Inoue-san that I did not notice a pretty, petite black-haired woman standing next to me." Here, Renji stopped again even though nobody has cut him off. He waited to see if Ichigo was going to insult Rukia.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows as if questioning him for the delay but he said nothing.

Who was he to question the big ape's falling standard in women?

"The first thing that Rukia said to me when I had noticed her was, "So... are you trying to get into her pants?" The big ape confessed to sound of sniggering.

Except for one.

"And were you?"

"What do you think?" And he left it at that.

Of course he denied it to Rukia.

They started talking and Rukia helpfully suggested she will assist him to become friends with Orihime.

So that's how it started.

Dates supposedly with Orihime always ended up with just Rukia and him.

He was comfortable with that. He got to ask questions about Orihime. Although Rukia did always provide him with just scraps. Nothing of real importance.

He felt comfortable with the woman with the vibrant violet eyes.

And then, it happened.

He started to want to know more about her than the beautiful princess.

And the more he learned about her, the more his heart was beating faster at the sight of her.

Finally, he came to realize he was wrong.

Wrong to want to chase after an unattainable fantasy when he could cherish the woman right by his side.

"And that's when I had found the woman I loved, for always." Renji finished with a wishful smile.

"At the risk of repeating myself, what the fuck has your stupid story has anything to do with Orihime!"

"That's just it, I felt grateful to Inoue-san for being a matchmaker, albeit a unwittingly one, to Rukia and I. That's why I feel sort of protective about her."

"Fine. Whatever. Now tell me what I want to know. Namely, an address."

"But I don't know her home address."

"Then the place she works. You do know, don't you?"

"I do, but you have seen how protective of Inoue-san Rukia is. And not just Rukia. From what Rukia has told me, Inoue-san had a dark childhood, no, I don't really know the details but Rukia said it's a miracle that Inoue-san turned out the way she has, regardless of what she had been through. She has friends, lots of them who are looking out for her now. And one of them is the woman I love, who's currently not happy with me. You asked me earlier if I wanted my friends to be happy. How about you, Ichigo, don't you want me to be happy as well?" Renji finished his long, solemn speech with a pleading look.

Ichigo was having none of it.

Leveling Renji with the full weight of his irritation, he said with hooded disinterest dripping with a deliberate threat,

"Renji, so far you have told me shit as to what I want to know. And yes, I want you to be happy. In fact, I want all my friends to be happy. But, Renji, you know I can also make your life now a living hell and I really doubt you would want to drag the woman you love straight into hell with you, right?"

(こだわり)

"No, Rukia-chan, I can truthfully, hand on my heart tell you I do not remember of having met Abarai-san before." The puzzled princess reaffirmed of what she knew for the.. was it the third time?

"Why is it of such importance to you, may I ask?"

Rukia looked guilty. "If you must know, I met Renji through you."

"Huh?" Orihime was truly surprised.

Rukia decided to come clean. "Do you remember a few months back when I told you that I have found someone?"

Orihime nodded. She recollected how absolutely joyous Rukia was and how ecstatic she felt about Rukia's newfound love. She wondered why remembering Abarai-san was so important to her friend.

"Well, I have gotten to know Renji sort of through you."

She got her answer and a whole lot more confusion.

"I do not understand."

And Rukia got on with her explanation.

It was love at first sight. At least it was for her. But his attention was caught by a certain pretty princess manning the booth.

"Me?" The princess squeaked in shock.

Rukia nodded and continued.

So for the sake of love, Rukia decided to hopefully inspire the unsuspecting Renji into falling in love with her.

All she had to do was to use Orihime as the bait.

"M-Me? B-But... H-How?"

"I told him I will help him to go out with you."

"But you didn't. Are you ashamed of me? Do you not trust me, Rukia-chan?" The supposedly 'bait' sadly asked.

"No! Of course not! I just didn't want to take the chance of the two of you falling in love with each other before I gave it a try between him and I." Rukia confessed in shame and hung her head.

It had felt so right at that time.

What Orihime did not know would not hurt her.

And yet, Orihime did almost had gotten hurt.

What a friend.

Orihime lifted her quivering chin, gave an understanding smile and squeezed the shorter woman's hand.

She guessed love did make one irrational.

"So... the two of you..." Orihime started to sing-song, cheekily and then suddenly she remembered something.

Something of earth-shattering standing!

"How about the baby?"

"What baby? Oh, that baby. That's why I went to ladies. I felt it coming down."

"WHAT?!" Orihime could not breath. The baby? The baby is gone?! How could Rukia-chan be so calm? She stared at her friend who in turn, looked at her with a inquiring expression like she was the one who has uttered those depressing words.

Slowly Rukia realized what her words could signified.

"Oh sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I meant it's 'tampon' time." She grinned, apologetically.

Orihime let out a breath of relief.

"But you should have seen his face when he 'ambushed' me as I came out of the restroom." There was a big smile on Rukia's face. She tried to mimic her boyfriend's voice.

"Oh, Rukia. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of you and our baby. I love you.I know that by marrying me, you will be marrying down but I'll prove to your brother you'll have no regrets, ever. What if your brother don't want to give his blessings? Would you still want to marry despite his disapproval? Think of our baby. My baby girl must know we got married because we love each other." Rukia's voice got softer and softer as she related what Renji had promised her.

"That is so sweet. Did he really said all that? What did you tell him?"

"He said that and a whole lot more. And the funny thing is, the first thing I said to him when he had finished gushing was, 'how can you be sure it's a girl?'."

"And what did he say?"

"It's only a slip of the tongue." Once again, Rukia tried to talk like Renji.

The two women laughed.

"But you have told him that it is only a false alarm."

"You didn't see him all anxious with me when we fell down, did you?"

"So, everything is fine with Abarai-san and you? Are you going to call him?"

"It's not important. I am sorry for what he didn't do."

"Oh... You are talking about Kurosaki-san and I. Don't blame him, Rukia-chan. I chose to accept the payment due."

"What payment? You fool. But you're right. I shouldn't blame him. I am the one at fault. I should have done something. I am so sorry, Orihime."

"It is over and done with. Besides, what could you have done? Take my place?"

"Yes!"

"No, Rukia-chan. What would your brother say? You know, in my line of work, it would be better for me to show up with a few bruises. Play the sympathy card." The hardworking woman said in jest.

"Don't even joke about it! You would have just stood there and accept what he dished out, wouldn't you?"

"Yes. All I would show as a sign of weakness would be a few drops of tears and then, I will hate him."

"But you don't hate him, since he didn't touch you."

And there was the blush again, highlighting her fair face and spreading down to her neck. What was wrong with her?

"Ah... But he did touch you... with his lips." Rukia teased. "And what did you say, 'I did not mind Kurosaki-san's kisses', unquote." She went on ruthlessly.

"Rukia-chan! It was just a slip of the tongue."

"Are you repeating what Renji said? In Renji's case, he has always told me he prefer a little girl to spoil rotten. So unconsciously, he was hopping for just that. How about you, Orihime, you like him?"

Orihime pursed her lips, worryingly. She chose to ignore the question.

But Rukia was relentless. "So, how about you and the spiked 'fruit'?"

"M-Me and Kurosaki-san? K-Kurosaki-san... " She stammered before covering her mouth in a hurry with her small hands. She gave out a delicate, small sneeze.

"Orihime! Are you alright? You are not catching a cold, are you? What are we standing in the middle of the street when you should be at home, right now. Let's go." The older woman ordered in concern and started to drag her towards her warm home.

"Rukia-chan, I am fine. My nose just felt itchy for a second," Orihime cutely twitched her nose to prove her point.

"Or someone is thinking and talking about you?"

"Why would Tatsuki-chan be talking about me?"

Rukia gave the gullible girl-woman a look of hair-pulling exasperation. "Not Tatsuki. The orange top. I bet even now he's grilling Renji for your information."

"But Abarai-san does not know anything about me." She stared at a guilty looking Rukia. "Rukia-chan!"

"Don't worry. I only fed him 'tits' and bits. No pun intended." She grinned and drove on with her assumption. "What would you say to him if he should arrive at your place work with flowers and a Chappy cuddly toy and ask you for a date?"

"Why Chappy?"

"That's besides the point."

Orihime fidgeted uneasily and fiddled with her hands. "It is... I do not really like Chappy." She muttered.

Everybody knew about Rukia's obsession with the rabbit-liked toy.

Rukia glared at her. "Fine. Flowers and a Doreamon soft toy to impress his resourcefulness to you. How would you answer him?"

"I understand about Doreamon. And it is so expected. Why cannot it be Pikachu? He is so cute!"

_'Cute and crazy.' _Rukia thought cleverly to herself. _'Almost like you.'_ She smiled self-consciously at the one she has just likely have insulted. "For the last time, flowers and a Pikachu plush toy and your answer?"

Orihime's pretty face was set in full concentration.

Rukia waited.

And waited.

"Rukia-chan," Orihime's soft voice was serious but it was also wavering,

"Yes, Orihime."

Orihime's thoughtful face scrunched in concern. "If Doreamon and Pikachu were to meet each other in a sumo match, who will come out victorious?" She looked at a shocked Rukia, hopefully.

"Huh?! What?! I don't know and I don't care!"

"But, Rukia-chan ~ " Orihime pouted. Rukia-chan is just like Tatsuki-chan. They are both no fun. Perhaps if she suggested that Pikachu partnered Chappy, then Rukia-chan might take an interest, but two against one. How unfair. Maybe she can be Doreamon's sidekick and then it will be 'Game On!'. Two against two. A fight to the death... Or maybe not. She shuddered. That will be too... too 'uncute'.

"Orihime," Somebody was calling her. Was Doreamon in trouble?!

"I will save you, Doreamon-chan!"

A light thump on the top of her daydreaming head.

Orihime touched her head, ran her fingers through her hair to knead her scalp with her fingertips and giggled. "Hee, hee."

And faced an impatiently tapping-her-foot Rukia.

There was no more delaying in answering Rukia.

Rukia-chan wanted her answer.

"Umm... Rukia-chan, I guess, maybe... no." Orihime nodded and then shook her head. "No." She repeated more firmly more to herself than to Rukia.

"Well, that sure, eh, Orihime? I should be proud of you for resisting a rather tempting 'fruit'. But..."

"No." Orihime interrupted and shook her head again.

"It's just I sensed something going on between the two of you. It will do nobody any harm if you do go on a date with him. Renji and I could be your duennas. In case, pervert-san decide to molest you. Wait.. I am contradicting myself. You might be right in avoiding him. Maybe we should get Tatsuki in on this." Rukia was finding out that returning the favor to an unknowingly matchmaking friend, was not so easy.

"It is still no, Rukia-san. The only thing I sensed about Kurosaki-san is; he is mad, bad and dangerous; whereas I am a good girl, right?"

(かわいい)

Ichigo smirked as he used his thumb to unlock his front door.

Wasn't technology great? It's what that separate human beings from the animal kingdom. No offense, of course.

The moment he knew, someone had used his code to gain entrance to his apartment, he rushed out of the business meeting in a flash. He ignored the questioning protesting. Millions were at stake. The company's stockholders would demand an answer. His reputation was on the line.

As if he cared.

It was not like they can take their business elsewhere. He scoffed at his competitors. They can try but no one can topple the king.

Anyway...

He stepped into his apartment, closed the door quietly and changed the code to his lock; no sense in making anything difficult for himself and removed his shoes.

Walking silently into the living room, his eyes caught the bright bundle on his couch. It was impossible to miss it. A splash of color in a checkerboard-designed of a abode.

Reaching it, he glanced upon it with an unreadable expression on his face. Lightly fingering it,

_'So soft and smooth.'_

Just as he knew her skin would be.

He could hardly wait to touch her.

To taste her.

And to be inside her.

He wondered where she was.

Not in the kitchen, he thought devilishly.

It would be uncomfortable for...

Her.

Then he heard it.

A male singing voice.

A man!

In the bedroom?!

At least it sounded like a man singing till he heard the girlish giggling.

**Just take a bite**

**Let me shake up your world**

How appropriate.

**Caused just one night couldn't be so wrong**

**I'm gonna make you lose control**

Ichigo took off his jacket, loosened his tie and removed it from his neck. He threw them next to the dress on his couch.

**She was so shy**

**'Til I drove her wild**

His cufflinks, those he treated with more tender care. He placed them carefully on the table.

**I make them good girls go bad**

**I make them good girls go bad**

He could hardly wait to make her go bad.

Unbuttoning his shirt as he walked towards the opened door to his bedroom, she started to sing in her own voice.

A singer's voice. He noted appreciatingly.

**I know your type**

**Boy you're dangerous**

He's dangerous? Perish the thought.

**Yeah you're that guy**

**I'd be stupid to trust**

She was not in the bedroom.

Ah... enclosed space.

He closed the bedroom door.

**But just one night couldn't be so wrong**

**You make me want to lose control**

Pulling his shirt from out of trousers, his unbuttoned shirt hanging on him,

He walked into the bathroom.

Slid opened the glass door,

"Ready to lose control, Orihime?"

(クレーツー)

_(So... have you all decided? If I do not get any response at all, I would assume you want me to just do the update that my muse is collaborating with me at the moment. Don't you hate it when your muse is back. You spend every waking hour with your story. You do not even have time to catch..._

No. I am not obsessed.

I am not going...

I am not gonna...

I am not...

**Gotta Catch 'Em All!**)

.


End file.
